Effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit of a single annual professional intervention for the prevention of childhood dental caries in a remote rural Indigenous community
Collaborators
- Newell W. Johnson (Griffith)
- Ratilal Lalloo
- Jeroen Kroon (Griffith)
- Ohnmar Tut (Griffith)
- Sanjeewa Kularatna (QUT)
- Lisa M. Jamieson (Adelaide)
- Valda Wallace (JCU)
- Robyn Boase (JCU)
- Yvonne Cadet-James (JCU)
- Surani Fernando (Griffith)
- Paul Scuffham (Griffith)
Overview
The aim of the study is to reduce the high prevalence of tooth decay in children in a remote, rural Indigenous community in Australia, by application of a single annual dental preventive intervention. The study seeks to (1) assess the effectiveness of an annual oral health preventive intervention in slowing the incidence of dental caries in children in this community, (2) identify the mediating role of known risk factors for dental caries and (3) assess the cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit of the intervention.
The intervention is novel in that most dental preventive interventions require regular re-application, which is not possible in resource constrained communities. While tooth decay is preventable, self-care and healthy habits are lacking in these communities, placing more emphasis on health services to deliver an effective dental preventive intervention. Importantly, the study will assess cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness for broader implementation across similar communities in Australia and internationally.
There is an urgent need to reduce the burden of dental decay in these communities, by implementing effective, cost-effective, feasible and sustainable dental prevention programs. Expected outcomes of this study include improved oral and general health of children within the community; an understanding of the costs associated with the intervention provided, and its comparison with the costs of allowing new lesions to develop, with associated treatment costs. Findings should be generalisable to similar communities around the world.
Publications
Lalloo R, Tadakamadla SK, Kroon J, Tut O, Kularatna S, Boase R, Kapellas K, Gilchrist D, Cobbledick E, Rogers J, Johnson NW. Salivary characteristics and dental caries experience in remote Indigenous children in Australia: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health. 2019 Jan 17;19(1):21. doi: 10.1186/s12903-018-0692-2.
Lalloo R, Kroon J, Tut O, Kularatna S, Jamieson LM, Wallace V, Boase R, Fernando S, Cadet-James Y, Scuffham PA, Johnson NW. Effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit of a single annual professional intervention for the prevention of childhood dental caries in a remote rural Indigenous community. BMC Oral Health. 2015 Aug 29;15:99. doi: 10.1186/s12903-015-0076-9.